The problem of chronic prostatitis affects not only older men, but also young men who are just beginning to have sexual relations. Inflammation of the prostate in the first months can manifest itself as a slight burning and itching sensation, which the patient does not attach importance to. But when inflammation becomes a part of everyday life, it can no longer be ignored. Exhausting pain, fatigue, and decreased sexual activity are chronic companions of prostatitis.
What is chronic prostatitis?
Prostatitis is one of the most common diseases of the genitourinary system in middle-aged and elderly men. The treatment of chronic prostatitis consists of minimizing symptoms and achieving a state in which prostatitis does not affect reproductive function.
Prostatitis is characterized by inflammation of the prostate gland: an important organ of the reproductive system located in the upper section of the beginning of the urethra. When healthy, the prostate is responsible for producing a secretion that keeps sperm alive and creates an environment for them to survive until ejaculation. In chronic prostatitis, this function is affected in an average of 70% of cases, so most sperm become slow and non-viable. The chances of successful fertilization decrease significantly even in the absence of other pronounced problems with the reproductive system. Complex treatment is required.
Chronic prostatitis develops in three ways:
- Chronic bacterial prostatitis. Painful symptoms disappear completely or return with a vengeance. Even at its peak, the inflammation does not reach the intensity of acute prostatitis. Prostate irritation is caused by a third factor: pathogenic bacteria. This prostatitis can disappear without comprehensive diagnosis and treatment: for example, if a man had a cold or a seasonal illness at the same time as inflammation. Antibiotics will suppress the activity of bacterial colonies and the disease will disappear. But the next time the immune system fails, chronic prostatitis will return and you will need to undergo treatment.
- Chronic abacterial prostatitis.According to research, chronic abacterial prostatitis remains one of the most common forms in men under 50 years of age. The disease often begins with a bacterial invasion: bacteria develop activity against the background of weakened immunity and are defeated. The consequence is the depletion of the body's resources, so inflammation reappears in the future without the participation of bacteria. Chronic abacterial prostatitis is characterized by long phases with a short, barely noticeable remission. A man with abacterial prostatitis may be convinced that the disease is constantly getting worse. The burning sensation is more intense than in bacterial forms, because the disease does not allow you to relax and rest from the pain. Treatment is with minimally invasive means. Advanced chronic prostatitis of a nonbacterial nature is treated in the surgeon's office.
- Asymptomatic chronic prostatitis (asymptomatic).This form of prostatitis does not cause suffering to a man, but it is dangerous as a hidden threat. Asymptomatic prostatitis occurs without pronounced symptoms. Burning in the prostate, itching, release of moisture and other signs of inflammation do not appear. At the same time, the inflammatory process affects the reproductive function, so a man can be considered infertile. Asymptomatic chronic prostatitis can only be detected by laboratory diagnostics. Tests will show increased bacterial activity, which is associated with the development of prostatitis in men. In combination with the release of white blood cells during urination, this will allow a diagnosis to be made. Please note: a preventive examination by a urologist once a year may not be enough. Asymptomatic chronic prostatitis also has phases of activity, so it can be difficult to diagnose.
- Chronic granulomatous prostatitis.It is the rarest form of the disease and develops as a side effect of drug treatment of other diseases or long-term radiation. The inflammatory process in this case is only a secondary symptom. Painful sensations are associated with the gradual destruction of prostate tissue, which is replaced by connective tissue. The degradation of the organ causes a weakening of the prostate function until its complete cessation. If left untreated, the process becomes irreversible.
Although chronic prostatitis is qualitatively different from the acute form of the disease, with complications it can turn into an acute phase, dangerous for the reproductive system. Acute pain with a burning sensation in the prostate, high temperature and decreased immunity are signs that treatment of chronic prostatitis will need to be postponed. Call an ambulance or go to the hospital. First you need to stop the acute inflammatory process.
Causes
The impetus for the development of chronic prostatitis is usually a combination of factors, including the state of the body, environment and heredity. If acute prostatitis can be prevented, then the development of chronic prostatitis is not so simple. Men who are naturally prone to prostate disease will experience an exacerbation of the disease in situations that do not affect men with more favorable heredity.
If you want to reduce the risk of developing chronic prostatitis, pay more attention to your health. Prostatitis is a disease that arises against the background of weakness of the body. Among the common causes of chronic prostatitis:
- Sexual infections.They directly affect the prostate or weaken the immune system enough that the slightest irritation causes an inflammatory process. Infections are transmitted sexually through unprotected contact. Carriers may not know they are infected: some infections appear only in men, although women carry them, and vice versa. The best preventive measure is hygienic contraceptives. Urologists recommend using condoms even during sexual intercourse without penetration, for example, during stimulation of the prostate.
- Passive lifestyle.Lack of physical activity causes chronic circulatory problems not only in the prostate, but in the entire pelvic area. If you have to spend most of the day sitting at your desk, don't forget to get up and stretch at least once every 1 to 2 hours. Light exercise, a walk around the office, or stretching will restore normal blood circulation. On weekends you can offset the workload of the work week with long walks or sports activity.
- Incomplete sexual relations, artificial prolongation of arousal or prolonged abstinence.The male reproductive system requires regular flushing. This is how sperm are renewed and thanks to this all organs are in permanent preparation for the reproductive process. What happens if a man regularly delays or prohibits himself from orgasm? The body accumulates more sperm and byproducts than it needs. The prostate also suffers: it produces unnecessary secretions that have nowhere to go. If the situation is repeated constantly, the result can be chronic prostatitis.
- Regular hypothermia.It is believed that it is beneficial for men to freeze completely - it strengthens the body. In fact, by suffering hypothermia while walking, riding a motorcycle or skiing, a man overloads the immune system. The body finds it more difficult to cope with bacterial activity, and the vulnerability of the prostate increases many times over. In such conditions, it is easy to become a carrier of bacterial prostatitis, which will then turn into a non-bacterial or asymptomatic form.
- Chronic lack of sleep, depression, stress.Psychological factors combined with fatigue deplete the immune system and open the body to a whole group of chronic diseases. A man who does not get enough rest at night or is stressed after work is 2 to 3 times more likely to get prostatitis than a man who sleeps 8 to 10 hours a day and rests well with his family. At the first manifestations of the disease, it is important not to blame yourself and not to give in to gloomy thoughts: they will only worsen the condition. Go to the doctor immediately and you will get rid, if not of the disease itself, then of the unpleasant symptoms.
- Alterations in hormonal activity.In chronic prostatitis, the functions of the prostate are affected. Hormones are responsible for regulating the prostate and coordinating secretion with the functioning of the reproductive system. Even a slight hormonal imbalance can cause inflammation. In this case, the treatment of chronic prostatitis must be complemented with hormonal therapy.
- Neglect of personal hygiene rules.Attention: once is enough for bacteria to settle in the tissues. You may not notice the consequences of not following self-care rules for years, while the immune system protects the body from bacterial invasions. But one exacerbation against the background of a seasonal illness is enough for the problem of chronic prostatitis to enter a man's life for many months.
The development of chronic prostatitis is usually accompanied by a weakened immune system, poor diet, and a lack of vitamins and minerals in the body. A man who leads a healthy lifestyle has a lower risk of chronic prostatitis, even with a high genetic predisposition.
How to treat chronic prostatitis in men and what to do
If you suspect the development of chronic prostatitis, you should schedule a comprehensive examination with a urologist. In some cases, the doctor makes a diagnosis at the first visit, based on the nature of the disease and the patient's indications. If prostatitis has not manifested itself before, the urologist will prescribe diagnostic procedures: ultrasound examination of the prostate, urodynamic examination. Laboratory tests include urinalysis, ejaculation, urethral swab, and prostate discharge.
After clarifying the diagnosis, the doctor will formulate a course of treatment. There is no single correct method to treat chronic prostatitis. Methods are selected according to the type of chronic prostatitis, medical history and personal characteristics of the course of the disease.
Pharmacotherapy
Prescribed in most cases for home treatment; If prostatitis is accompanied by acute exacerbations, the man may be hospitalized. For bacterial forms of prostatitis, antibiotics are selected according to the group of bacteria identified during laboratory tests. Penicillins and fluoroquinolones remain the most popular antibacterial drugs in the treatment of chronic prostatitis of a bacterial nature.
For any form of chronic prostatitis, drugs from the alpha-blocker group are prescribed. They relieve swelling, eliminating the feeling of pressure and the unpleasant itching that prostatitis causes. These medications also have a powerful analgesic effect: the man stops suffering from pain and burning, physical activity and night rest are normalized. Prostatitis occurs without pain or physical exhaustion.
When chronic prostatitis becomes acute, powerful non-steroidal drugs are prescribed. They act directly on the inflammatory process and relieve symptoms, but they do not treat the root cause of the disease.
Surgical methods
In recent years, doctors have recruited fewer and fewer men with signs of chronic prostatitis to the surgeon's office. The reason is the mixed effect of surgical manipulations and a long recovery period. The prostatitis stops, but the patient suffers side effects, including impotence. At the same time, there are forms of chronic prostatitis in which surgical intervention is essential.
Transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR) is the partial or complete removal of prostate tissue to relieve stress on the urinary system. With partial resection, the prostate retains all its functions, while the inflammatory process irreversibly disappears and prostatitis does not return. The operation is performed without opening, regardless of the degree of inflammation. The resectoscope is aimed at the inflamed organ without affecting other pelvic organs.
Adenomectomy is the "open" removal of a gland due to prostatitis, which is also known as prostatectomy. An advanced inflammatory process leads to the fact that it is impossible to reach the inflamed gland without opening it. In this case, conventional surgical instruments are used to completely remove the prostate. This is an extreme measure that is prescribed only when other treatment methods are impossible and there is a danger to the body. After a long period of rehabilitation, the man returns to a normal lifestyle with unlimited physical activity. Adenomectomy always ends in complete impotence. Prostatitis never comes back.
Minimally invasive treatment methods.
In modern medicine, there are many ways to treat prostatitis in chronic forms that do not require surgical intervention. The new techniques have proven to be more effective than traditional surgery, which is why they are used everywhere. Official medicine recognizes the following treatment methods:
- Exposure to ultrasonic waves.Prostatitis only affects the prostate, so UV treatment focuses radiation on this organ. Regular procedures reduce symptoms, relieve swelling and pain. The process is not accompanied by pain, does not cause irritation and is harmless to the genitourinary system.
- Heat treatment.Prostatitis and its manifestations can be reduced to "no" by microwave thermotherapy. High temperatures are applied directly to the prostate, causing it to shrink. The method is not used if prostatitis has entered the acute phase: in this case, heating aggravates the condition.
- Cryodestruction.Painless partial removal of inflamed glandular tissue with liquid nitrogen with a minimal recovery period. Chronic prostatitis disappears completely if antibacterial treatment is carried out in parallel with strengthening the immune system. Reproductive function is not affected and prostatitis has minimal chances of recurring.
- Inductotherapy.Complex treatment with laser and magnetic field normalizes blood circulation, triggers regeneration processes and relieves pain due to inflammation. The technique in the case of prostatitis has an auxiliary effect: inductotherapy improves the effect of drugs by one and a half to two times, but without drugs it gives a short-term result.
- Laser processing.If chronic prostatitis is accompanied by prolonged phases of exacerbation, laser therapy is prescribed. The laser evaporates excess moisture, stopping the growing area of tissue damage from prostatitis. The treatment has a stimulating effect: the body's cells are activated, natural defenses are awakened and tissue regeneration occurs.
One of the new methods is mechanical expansion of the urethral walls. This method does not treat chronic prostatitis, but contributes to the almost complete disappearance of its symptoms. Reducing the contact area promotes faster healing and prevents the spread of the injury. To increase the space between the walls of the urethra, a catheter with an inflating balloon (balloon dilation) or a cylindrical polymer frame (stent) is inserted. The methods can be combined to achieve the desired result. The technique is not used if prostatitis has reached the acute stage.
How to deal with
If you suspect prostatitis, you should first consult a doctor. Only through examinations will the urologist be able to confirm the chronic nature of the disease and prescribe treatment. Signs of inflammation of the prostate are similar to other diseases of the pelvic organs, so self-medication is not advisable.
After diagnosis, follow your doctor's recommendations and undergo regular examinations with a urologist. Prostatitis can be treated with care and patience: do not neglect hygiene procedures during the acute phases of the disease, take medications for hours and the disease will disappear.
If prostatitis causes severe suffering, ask your doctor to recommend a prostate massage or recommend a private clinic that provides this service. Massage enhances the effect of the treatment. After the first session, you will notice that prostatitis feels less acute: massage movements relax the pelvic organs, soothe and trigger natural tissue restoration processes. The chronic nature of prostatitis will decrease significantly: signs of inflammation will bother you less often.
Men suffering from prostatitis should abandon traditional medicine during the entire treatment. Decoctions, poultices, compresses and other home remedies do not treat prostatitis in specific ways. They can relieve discomfort or worsen the inflammatory process during the night.
The same applies to self-prescribed medications. Prostatitis is treated with medications selected after extensive laboratory tests. A random remedy will not produce the desired effect, even if it has helped hundreds of thousands of men with prostatitis, simply because you are in a different situation. The dosage, duration and even methods of using drugs for chronic prostatitis are selected individually. If you are offered to buy a drug that can treat prostatitis in any form, regardless of the cause, you should know: it is false. Follow your doctor's recommendations and stay healthy!